Madeline lifts her finger. “I can answer your first question, but the second one I know very little about. All I know about the Order is that they were the overseers of the Corvus. The Order knows Corvus’ history here in the Mortal world. I just know why Corvus exist.”
I spread my hands wide. “Anything you can tell me would be helpful. I know I’m connected, but just not why.”
Nodding sagely, she asks, “So you understand the existence of demons, yes?”
I nod. “I understand demons are real and not just fiction, and that they possess humans. I know Corvus’ main purpose is to keep balance in the Mortal world by sending the demons to Under.”
“Excellent.” Madeline claps her hands like a proud teacher. “That’s correct. Do you know the story of Lucifer, Nara?”
I start to nod, then halt. “Well, I know the version I learned in church. Lucifer was one of God’s most powerful angels, but he felt that God favored his human children over his angels, so he rebelled. As punishment for his sins, God cast Lucifer from heaven, along with the legion of demons who felt as he did.”
“That’s correct. As it was historically written, God allowed Lucifer to roam free in the human world, because he believed in the ultimate good of his mortal children, and that they wouldn’t be swayed by demon-whispered persuasion. But Lucifer’s demons—known as Inferni or Inferi for a single demon—didn’t stop at persuasion, they began to possess the bodies of God’s children and make them do things against their will.”
“Can demons possess anyone?” I interrupt as I suddenly realize that the evil presence I’d felt pushing against me when Harper attacked me was the demon trying to take possession. Now I know what she meant by, “I’ll take what I want.”
“Ah, possession.” Madeline taps her temple. “A human with a darker mind is easier for a demon to possess than a person with lighter, positive inner strength. In other words, the weaker your will, the easier it’ll be for a demon to break through it. They’ll even mess with your head if they can. And if you can sense them, like some people have the ability to do, they’ll appear monstrous. Evil and vengeance has twisted them so far from where they began as beautiful angels. So, the short answer is, it’s not impossible for demons to possess just about anyone, but it’s just not as easy. That’s why they prey on the weak, seeing them as easy pickings.”
I shake off a shiver; the idea of a demon trying to possess me makes me nauseous. I’m so glad it failed. Fate might hate my strong will with a passion, but that’s probably what saved me. “Is demon possession why Corvus are so important? Can’t priests or ministers or pastors cast demons out too?”
“People in certain religious positions can only cast out a demon from a person, and even then, not all of these men or women are strong enough to do that.” Madeline’s eyes glitter with excitement. “Corvus was the ace up God’s sleeve, so to speak. As much as God believed in the overall good of his human children to resist evil’s temptation, he wasn’t just going to allow Inferni to roam the earth unchecked. He knows their nature, their jealousy, and their pride. They are, after all, fallen angels and far more powerful than humans. Mortals wouldn’t stand a chance against them.
“Since the Corvus spirit considers the Mortal plane its territory to protect, it wants all aspects of our world to flourish. God struck a deal with Corvus to protect those who can’t protect themselves until the fallen angels who betrayed God are finally judged.”
“So that’s how it all fits together,” I say in wonder. “You’re right, the pieces were all there.”
She smiles, nodding. “So yes, even though their existence isn’t known in our history, the Corvus play a vital role, sending demons that possess humans to Under. Unfortunately, unlike Furiae, Inferni can return if they can find a way back into this plane through the veil. Of course, God’s angels don’t make that an easy task, but the Inferni sometimes get through.”
The recent train wreck pops into my mind. “How do the Inferni get through?”
“My understanding is that there has to be a weakness in the veil for them to even try to enter.”
I lean closer to the screen. “What causes weaknesses in the veil?”
She purses her lips. “I believe natural disturbances beyond the ordinary can weaken the veil.”
A warm breeze blows into my room and I glance at the stormy clouds. “Like crazy weather?”
She nods. “That’s possible, I suppose, but think on a bigger scale, like an earthquake, a volcanic eruption, hurricanes or a tsunami…basically anything sudden and severe that disturbs our world’s balanced, steady state. The more often that happens, the more cracks in the veil.” She tilts her head, concern etching her brow. “Come to think of it, there have been a lot more natural disasters in the world news lately.”
Ugh, which means more opportunities for Inferni to break through. The tiny hairs on my arms stand up with just how deeply the Corvus is ingrained into humans’ overall existence. I don’t think Ethan knows how far reaching his destiny is. He seems to be running mostly on instinct. “You mentioned Furiae. Are they demons too? Where did they come from?”
Madeline moves her glasses back to her bun. “Yes, Furia is a lower demon—or Furiae for more than one demon—that is created when a human is killed by a Corvus while possessed by an Inferi. That human’s soul is bound to this plane and becomes a slave to Lucifer as a Furia; a demonic spirit that can possess a human body too. The difference is…when Corvus send Furiae to Under, it’s permanent. Furiae can never return to the Mortal plane.”
A book falls from the shelf behind me, making me jump and my heart race. “I think it’s time for you to get down from there, Patch.” I stand and put my arm up for him to hop on. Once I move him to my desk and he hops down, Madeline laughs.
“I’ve never seen a raven take to a person quite like that one has to you, Nara.”
I twist my lips as Patch tries to remove my pencils from the holder. One of his feathers is sticking out from his wing, but I don’t dare try to smooth it down. I value my fingers too much. “He’s very entertaining company, that’s for sure.” Returning my attention to her, I try to think of as many questions as I can while I have a Corvus resource in front of me. “Do you know anything about the Corvus, like how its spirit chooses who to merge with?”
Madeline shakes her head. “I know very little about that. I just know that a child is somehow chosen—tagged—by one of God’s angels as a candidate, but it’s up to the Corvus spirit to choose who to inhabit. Angels cannot communicate with Corvus directly. The spirit is more evolved and operates at a much higher vibration than angels.”
Fate had spoken about Corvus as plural, but she’s talking about Corvus as a single entity in spirit form. “Isn’t Corvus more than one? That’s what I was told at least, but I don’t understand how the Corvus spirit can exist in more than one body at a time. Inferi can only inhabit one body at a time, right?”
“Ahhhh.” The older woman wags her finger at me, a knowing smile on her face. “You’re a smart girl. I love that you ask such good questions. This is the reason the term Corvus is used for both a single Corvus or more than one—because they all come from one source. Remember, I said that Corvus is a highly evolved spirit, which is different from demons. To protect against demons, the spirit gives up a piece of itself for each Corvus that’s created. There can only be as many Corvus as there are Inferni, which includes the Inferni in Under, since they don’t really die they can return at any time. If a Corvus is killed while fighting a demon, then the Master Corvus creates a new Corvus to replace the one that was lost. It all comes back to balance.”
Logically I know it’s possible, but hearing about Corvus dying twists my stomach. I keep asking questions to get my mind off it. “But if there’s only one Corvus for every one Inferi, doesn’t the Furiae’s existence create an imbalance?”
Madeline’s lips dip downward. “Indeed, it does. While defeating Furiae is like swatting flies for Corvus, Furiae can still c
ause havoc and wreck lives in our world. It’s a good thing Corvus try not to kill the person being possessed when they’re battling an Inferi.”
Ethan didn’t stop himself from killing Drake. As worry sets me on edge, I rub my forehead and try to stay focused while thinking of more questions to ask. I really need to understand this. “If an Inferi can create a kind of lower class demon known as Furia to help do his dirty work, why wouldn’t they create an army?”
Madeline raises her eyebrows. “Because everything comes with a price. For a Furia to be created, an Inferi has to be in possession of the body long enough to have fully corrupted the person when the person is killed by a Corvus. When a Furia is formed, the Inferi it replaced is shoved back to Under. Inferni don’t often give up their place on this plane just to create Furiae, especially when doing so means they’ll be sent to Under in an excruciatingly painful way. The Inferni who get thrust to Under heal very slowly, which means it’ll take them a lot longer to try to fight their way back through the veil into our world.”
“But if the Corvus are the ones sending them to Under, do Inferni have a choice about going to Under so painfully and creating Furiae?”
“Sure they do. If an Inferi attacks a Corvus, then yes, it’s a conscious decision to make himself known; he knows what will happen to him if the corrupted human dies when the Corvus kills him. That’s why most Inferni prefer to work their evil in a subversive manner, defiling humans’ in stealth mode.”
Does Ethan have any idea that when he kills the person being possessed along with the Inferi inside, he could be creating a Furia? Does he know Drake’s spirit might have turned Furia and is probably out there right now taking over some unsuspecting person? I don’t think he does. He would have mentioned something like that. And if Danielle knows so much about Corvus, why didn’t she tell him this? Righteous anger starts to swell.
“Nara?”
“I’m sorry, Madeline. I was thinking about everything you’ve told me so far. Is there anything at all you can tell me about the Order? I know next to nothing about them.”
Madeline’s apologetic expression creases the wrinkles on her face even more. “All I know is that the symbol on your necklace and on the book’s spine represents three arms: Corvus, the Order, and humans. The arms are the exact same length and curled in the same direction for a reason. Each part must exist for perfect harmony and balance. At least, that’s the way it’s supposed to work.”
The odd inflection in her voice snags my attention. “Supposed to work?”
“Something happened about thirty years ago. I don’t know what, but that’s when I was asked to create the book. Maybe the book’s a reminder of sorts…about maintaining balance?” She lifts her shoulders and sighs. “I’m sorry, dear. That’s all I know.”
“You’ve been so helpful. Thank you for talking to me, Madeline.”
She nods, her features softening. “I’m honored to have played a small part. Good luck, Nara. You were chosen for a reason. And after talking to you, I have every faith you’ll figure out the role you’re supposed to play. I know that book will help you. Keep it safe until then.”
Once Madeline logs off, I stare at the blank computer screen, worrying my bottom lip. Standing up, I pull out a huge map of the world that came in a travel magazine Mom gave me after her last trip.
I lift my laptop up and spread the map out on my desk, then set the laptop back down on it. I type in the search term, “natural disasters for this year” then hit enter. When the list pops up, I mark every single one on the map. Then I reset the year of the search term to the same year that the plane crash occurred when I was a little girl—the same day the blonde man gave my grandmother the necklace to give to me—and I mark all of those natural disasters on the map.
When I’m done, I sit back and stare at the marks I’ve made. There was a recent freak storm in France that spawned a massive tornado not far from the place that train crashed. And yes, we’d had an event here in Blue Ridge. An earthquake that registered 5.3 and was felt all the way to Pennsylvania and down to Georgia. That even happened just a couple days before I saw the battling angel/demon burst through. A hurricane blew threw D.C. just a week before that plane crashed when I was a child. Based on this tiny sample size, Madeline is probably right about the natural disaster correlation.
More disasters equals more rifts, which potentially allow more Inferni through. As I tap my pen on the map, my mind keeps going back to Furiae.
Is it possible that Ethan’s not the only Corvus who doesn’t know he’s creating these Furiae? Could more Corvus be doing the same? And what happened thirty years ago? Madeline said the Order is part of the balance. If Danielle doesn’t know about creating Furiae, should Ethan listen to her about the Order?
A part of me wants to take Mr. Wicklow up on his invitation, but for now I grab my phone and quickly type a text to Ethan.
Me: We need to talk. This is important. It’s about C stuff.
Ethan: I’m running errands with Samson for most of the day. Can we meet later tonight? I want to talk in person. I told Danielle not to text me anymore.
I don’t want to think about him with Danielle and her stupid XXX text, but he needs to know what I do before he kills another Inferi-possessed person.
Me: I have a family dinner, but will be at Mindblown club later.
Ethan: Mindblown club?
Me: A new club downtown. I’m going with Lainey and some other friends.
Ethan: I’d rather talk alone.
Me: We need to talk before you do any more “club” hopping. I promised Lainey I’d come with her, so that’s where I’ll be.
Ethan: I’ll find you.
My phone starts ringing right as I read Ethan’s text. It’s Sally.
After Sally let me know the doctor came in late and Houdini’s surgery had been pushed off until tomorrow morning, we hang up and I glance at my watch, surprised that it’s already almost three, and Gran and Mr. Dixon will be here at five. Time to get a shower.
I gather up my necklace and Freddie’s book. Once I put my necklace away, I slide Freddie’s book inside the drawstring bag and start to hide it back between my mattresses when Madeline’s parting words echo in my head, “Keep the book safe.” With Houdini not here to guard my bed like he usually does, I’ll worry about the book. I scan my room, looking for an alternative hiding place, when the answer hits me. Why not put it where it has always been safe?
Chapter Seventeen
Nara
Oak Lawn Cemetery is quiet for a Saturday, but as I pass through the main gate I realize it’s probably because the weather is so warm; everyone is outside enjoying the unusually nice day.
The ravens are loud in the trees today, and I can’t help glancing up at them as I stroll through the cemetery. One croak stands out stronger than any of the others. Patch has followed me here. He didn’t want to leave when I tried to get him to. Actually, he made so much noise, my mom called up the stairs asking me to turn down whatever wildlife show I was watching.
Thankfully she didn’t come up the stairs or she’d have thought I was nuts—I had to use a small laundry basket to herd Patch toward the open window. So I’m not at all surprised to hear him announcing his presence as I make my way to the back corner where Freddie’s grave resides. I’m thankful no one else seems to be around. I know there are laws against grave robbers, but I’m not so sure what happens to grave givers, and I honestly don’t want to find out.
Warm wind blows through the bare trees, pushing my loose hair back from my face as I scan the graveyard once more. The clouds are getting darker overhead. Exhaling a sigh of relief that the caretaker must be running an errand or taking a very late lunch, I drop to my knees and pull a trowel and a brown paper bag from my backpack.
“I hope you’re okay with this, Freddie.” I direct my comment to Freddie’s headstone as I quickly dig a hole big enough for the bag. “But I can’t think of a better place to keep your book safe than with you. See, even now
you’re still protecting its secrets. Well, whatever they are,” I say as I lower the paper bag into the hole, then start to cover it up with dirt. Patting the newly refilled dirt, I glance up at the swirling gray clouds. “Don’t worry. Your book is sealed inside two airtight baggies inside this paper bag, so even heavy rain won’t harm it.”
Once I’m done, I brush the dirt from my hands and cover the spot I’ve disturbed near his headstone with a new layer of haphazardly strewn brown leaves.
“Looks like it was never touched,” a man says right next to me.
I let out a yelp and fling the trowel, losing my balance. As I start to fall to my side, the blond man crouched beside me quickly grasps my arm and pulls me upright with very little effort.
“Hello again, Inara.” A dimple forms in his cheek and his golden eyes appear to sparkle with flecks of silver as he picks up my trowel and hands it to me.
“Hello again?” He might be wearing casual khaki pants and a navy blue Polo shirt, but the man is so beautiful, those are the only words I can muster. He smells amazing, like all the seasons, earth, forests, and the sea rolled into one. I inhale deeply and try to regain the ability to speak as I tuck the trowel away in my backpack. Once I zip the bag, I’m finally able to meet his arresting gaze. I’m dying to know how he snuck up on me without me seeing him, but instead, I say, “I met you when I was a little girl, didn’t I?”
His smile deepens. “Do you remember?”
I shake my head. “My grandmother wrote about the necklace you gave her in her diary. You’re exactly as she described.” Nodding to Freddie’s tombstone, I continue, “Freddie made sure to keep the book safe, but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with it. Are you here to tell me?”
“I can’t stay long.” As he speaks, he looks up and nods toward something.
I follow his gaze and blink rapidly. Ethan’s sliding a piece of paper under something on top of a headstone closer to the front of the cemetery. Is it under a rock? Who is he here visiting?
Destiny, YA Paranormal Romance (Brightest Kind of Darkness Series, Book #3) Page 19